Improvement in the manufacture of white lead



Fig. 7 is a view of another apparatus.

t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Y'JAMES cDDv, oErirTsBUEG, AND GEORGE s. sELDEN,YoE PHILADELPHIA, y

PENNSYLVANIA.

"I'MPROVEM ENT IVN THE vMANUFAcTpl'Jl-'ni oF wHiT LEAD. y

:f l l D y Specification `forming` part of Letters Patent No.` 104,434, dated'June 2l, 1870,

white lead, whereby the time consumed in the operationis greatly shortened. Y

ln orderto' enable others to use our invention, we will now proceed to describe a mode of carrying the same into effect, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, whichv forma part of this speciiication, and` in which- Figure 1 is an end View 'ofthe apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side and end view, doors closed.

` Fig. 3 is asectional view of one of the cases.- Fig. et' is an interior view, showing the revolv` Iing spiderwith one'of thecases in position.

Fig. 5 is a side and endviewot' the apparatus .Withlids open,'sh0wing revolving spider.V Fig.

6 is a side` View, showing projectionV of shaft. Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-section of said machine. Fig. 9 is a perspective view ot the cage with- 'drawn from the inside of the apparatus, Fig. 7.

' Fi g. 10 is a cross-section of Fig. 7, showing the notches or cleats for` holding No. 9 in position; Like letters represent like parts in thedift'erent drawings. y 1 y Ads a cylinder, which maybe made of' wood, meta1,or other suitable material, with journals pn each of the heads of the cylinder, so that ofr Vthe ordinary means.`

lis a cylindrical cage or basket made of thecylinder may be made to revolve by any slats of wood divided into several shelves or separate compartments, and may be constructed in two or more sections or segments, which, before being put` into operation, are securely fastened together, forming the cylindrical cage t or basket, which-is held in position-by partlof itsframe-work being secured within the grooves formed by the cleats atA a a a, fastened within the cylinder A. Inside of thiscylindrical cage or basket thin sheets of metallic lead are placed,

` and when all the shelves or compartments are tilled with the same the doors D are closed and secured and the cylindrical cage pushed or placed within the cylinder A, which is then closed up. This cylindrical cage or basket may be, removed or changed. as occasion may require, by removing the head of the cylinder;

or it may he so constructed that sections of it maybe chan ged or removed, as may be required, through openings in the head or side of the cylinder A made for that purpose. A jet of steam is then thrown` into the cylinder A'to raise the temperature and assist in oxidizing the lead 5 and after the steam has been thus used for about one hour, the cylinderA is then put in motion, and a' supply of vinegar introduced into the cylinder A through a stationary pipe running through the journal b to the opposite end of the cylinder, said pipe being perforated with -very small holes for its entire length in'theinside of the cylinder, through which the vinegar will percolate andevery portion of the metallic Alead become thoroughly and equally sprinkled orwetted with the vinegar. .The cylinder is then thrown outof gear and stopped, and after the lapse-of about an 'hour a stream ot' carbonio-acid gas (produced by the combustion of coke, charcoal, or any other of the ordinary means) is driven or forced f into tlie cylinder A by means of a fan or blowing4 cylinder or other device, through a pipe connected with one of the journals arranged for that purpose, lthe supply being regulated by avalve in the pipe. L is a hand-hole, which can be opened whenever a test or sample is required to-be drawn in order to ascertain the progress of the corrosion of the lead. These operations are repeated as often as the lead becomes dry, when the vinegar is again. introa horizontal door or doors, h 7L, running the whole length of the chamber B, and wide enough to permit the insertion and removal of the sectional crates or baskets U. In the ends of this chamber B are placed bearings to receive the journals e e ot' the shaft ,'near both ends of which shaft, but inside of the chamber, are attached wheels or spiders, whose spokes or arms are secured to it, dividing the wheels or spiders into sections, with grooves made to receive andsecure the crates or Lbaskets G L1n position, and that these sectional crates or baskets may be more firmly secured in their intended position, spokes or arms corresponding to the spokes or arms at the endsmay be inserted at intervals around the shaft. The sectional crates or baskets C are made of slats or lattice-Work, or in any suitable way so as to permit ofthe free circulation of the different acids and gases usedy in the operation and the passage of the carbonate as it is detached from'the lead. The shape of these crates or baskets and their size are only material so far as they affect the convenience of handling and filling or packing the cylindrical spider1 in which they tit.

Inside ofthe top ofthe chamber B, and right over and lengthwise with the shaft of the cylindrical spider, is placed a small pipe perforated on its under side with little holes, through which, when necessary during the operation, can percolate drops or jets of vinegar supplied from some conve-nient fountain, and which,as the cylinder revolves, will moisten or wet every portion of its contents evenly and elfectually.

Steam may also be introduced into the chamber B through the opening d, as and when required, and carbonio-acid gas through the opening e, all of which being introduced through pipes, the quantities may be regulated by any suitable cock for that purpose.

At the bottom of the chamber B is an opening through the end, which opening is closed during the operation, but which can be opened, and the white lead or carbonate which has fallen to the bottom be removed as often as desirable, without delaying or materiallyintertering with the operation. Sight-holes lled with glass may also be made in any convenient part of the chamber.

When it is desired to commence operation the crates or baskets are properly filled or loaded with thin sheets, ribbons, plates, or scraps of lead brought to the chamber B, the doors h h opened, and a crate or basket placed, keyed, or fastened in each of the sections or spaces forming they cylinder. When all the sections or spaces are thus lled the doors h h are closed and the steam introduced as before, after which the cylinder B is put in motion by means of any suitable device attached to the shaft t'. The cock regulating the supply of vinegar is opened and a proper quantity allowed to spirt or percolate through the small holes in that part of the pipe inside ofthe chamber, and thus every particle of lead is in turn moistened or wetted with the vinegar. The motion ofthe cylinder is then stopped, and at the proper time a stream of carbonio-acid gas is introduced as before. These operations are repeated as often as required until all the lead is duly converted, each subsequent revolution of the cylinderafter the first, by the jarring or attrition ot the metallic lead, causing the separation of the carbonate or White lead from the metallic and allowing the carbonate or white lead to fall or pass through theopenings in the crates or baskets to the bottom of the chamber, when it can be readily removed through an opening made for that purpose. As the corrosion progresses and the sheets, ribbons, plates, or scraps of lead grow thinner, no danger of their being packed or crushed together need be apprehended, as they will more likely be shaken loose and separated by each revolution, and fresh surfaces are thus consecutively presented to the action of the vinegar and carbonio-acid gas. These cylinders and cages or baskets are only intended to revolve during the flow and percolation of the vinegar and for a sufficient length of time to clean off by jarring or attrition the carbonate or white lead and allow it to fall to the bottom, from whence it can be removed through the proper openings as often as occasion shall require. 4During all the balance of the operation-viz., thc oxidation, acetization, and carbonization-the cylinder and crates or baskets remain stationary.

'It'will' be obvious from the foregoing that when the corrosion is completed there is no loss of time such as occurs in working with ordinary chambers, because the white lead having been removed by instalments or having fallen to the bottom and duplicate cages or baskets being ready filled, the empty cages or baskets can be removed and the full cages put in their places in a fewminutes, when the operation can be repeated as before.

Another mostimportant consideration arises from the fact that by this process the necessity for the operator entering the chamber is entirely dispensed with, the danger and loss of health to the operator attending which has been one of the greatest obstacles in the malinfactnre of white lead by those processes requiring such exposure.

It requires no explanation to prove that where the carbonate or4 white lead is periodically removed from the metallic, exposing regularly and consecutively clean surfaces of metallic lead for the action of the different agents, the process is greatly facilitated and the time occupied in the operation vastly reduced.

Having thusexplained our inventiomwhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

' 1. The intermittent revolving ofawhite-lead chamber, constructed and operated substantially as and for the purposes as described.

2. The intermittent revolving of a horizontal lcylindrical crate or crates within-a stationary 5. The wetting or moistening the metallic chamber, constructed and operated substanlend with vinegar,as and for the purposes subtially as and for Vthe purposes as described. stantially as described.

3. Theintermittent -or periodical agitation JAMES GUDDY of the metallic lead, as and for the purposes substantially as described. Y ,l GEO' S' SELDEN' 4:. The employment of movable crates or bas- Witnesses:

kers, as andfor the purposes substantially as ED. M. JOHNSTON,

described. J AMES WHITE. 

